How to discipline TBall Kids,

Question
I have a few kids on my TBall team and I have a problem with disciplining them when they are not listening. I've tried making them run laps but they enjoy running, haha. So I'm trying to find new ways to get them to want to pay attention and learn. I use alot of praise when they do listen in hopes they will continue to want to recieve these praises. I do also understand that they are 5 and 6, but i still b elieve that there needs to be some type of order and discipline on the baseball field. Thanks.

Answer
Chris:  Thank you for your question.

A few ideas to try:

1.  If you haven't already done so, teach them to get on a baseball knee, whenever you are explaining something to them.  It is the standard learning position in baseball, from bottom to top.  Show them how to sit up tall, not sitting back on their heels, and tell them it is what the major league players do, they don't sit on the field.

This position will become a part of a one knee throwing drill as you move forward.

2.  Each time you talk with them, you get in the same position.  It puts you at their level and they don't have to look up to make contact with your eyes.

3.  In the Diamondbacks' Training Centers, we keep our explanations short, and generally about only one thing, then get them right into that activity.  Short spurts of talking, followed by longer spurts of the activity, then move on to the next thing.  Beyond 10 minutes for a drill and you have generally lost them.  For an explanation, about 4 min max.

4.  As an example, say their set up on the tee.  Take 3 to 4 minutes to show them where their front foot should be, and the width of their stance, then take them to the tees and let them do it.  Put a ball on the tees and say "stance", and they can get into it.  Hold for a count or two, then say "swing".  It will be a train wreck.  Do that sequence a few times through, constantly checking their set up, as they will set up differently every time for quite a while, then back to group explanation of their grip, back to the tees, etc.  Eventually you get to the swing and can work on it.  Ultimately you are only working on 3 things at that age, stance, step, swing.  They won't successfully process much else, which is fine.

It is a slow and often times frustrating experience; but they stay active and slowly but surely you get the corrections made and move them along.

You can work this way for any skills you are teaching.  The key is to keep moving, not too long in any one place.  Activity and fun.  Let them play some active, easy to learn, skill oriented games and use them to break up drill and talk sessions.  The games give them a chance to compete, attempt to use what they have learned, and provide you with a great medium to provide praise and complements on how well they are progressing.

On my website, at the current time, I have two games which are excellent for this, 4-corners and hit and get.  The site is www.theoleballgame.com.  Under drills, go to drills by category, they are both listed under fun games on that page.  Both are good after teaching them some base running technique also, as they can run the bases which they always like.  There is also a page on hitting progressions for rookies, might give you some additional ides for practice and skill development.  

Both games provide a great diversion, tied together with some competition, and the magic word FUN!

My suggestion would be to not use running as a penalty.  Stay with the reward situation.  They love the praise and there is always something good that can be said.  The sandwich technique, whereby you praise them for something they have done, make a correction to what they were doing incorrectly, then praise again at the back end.  They received two positives to soften the negative and you have also made reference to what needs work, win/win for everybody.

Stay with your belief that there needs to be some type of order and discipline, you are correct.  Try teaching it in little spurts of, this is what major league players do, and why they do it.  Stay slow and patient, enjoy the little progressions that are made.  They will seem small to you; but they are huge to them.

Have fun with it!  You are their main man right now and they hang on all that you say and do, even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes.

Yours in baseball,

Rick